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Sleepy Hollow: John Doe

Ichabod: "Plastic. How did we survive without it?"

I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear that I'm not a fan of "mysterious plague" episodes. Is anyone? Why do they do them at all?

The mystical elements helped it along a bit, though. The best part was the lost Roanoke colony, a real life mystery that has always captured my imagination. Although the way it was resolved was mildly unsatisfying; couldn't they have kept Roanoke in the swamp outside Sleepy Hollow for awhile? And it took Ichabod and Abbie way too long to figure out that Thomas was from the 16th century. After all, they're sitting there with a guy from the 18th, aren't they?

Anyway, on to my "wonderful stuff about Tom Mison's Ichabod" section, because he is my favorite new guy on television. Ichabod keeps delighting me by drawing on his strange and wonderful storehouse of skills and knowledge. This week, we learned that Ichabod speaks Middle English (although he did it haltingly, which made it a little more believable) and he has extensive knowledge of botany. We also learned that Ichabod's father was a nobleman, Ichabod had a "rather regal upbringing" that he was pleased to leave behind, and that he's a tracker because of his vast experience with fox hunting.

In the "man out of time" bits, Ichabod learned about bubble wrap and spackle, and I loved the bit where he was playing with a piece of scotch tape. And there was discussion about a change of clothes. Ichabod Crane in modern clothes? Come on! Don't tease us.

There were some changes for Abbie, too. She prayed for guidance, and although it wasn't stated outright that she got some, she did have a brainstorm about the holy water that saved the day. Abbie is starting to buy in to the whole "two witnesses" thing, and she's come to truly care about Ichabod. Works for me.

Bits and pieces:

-- This week, the focus was on the Horseman 'Pestilence', who gave infecting the world with plague his best shot. He looks sort of like a samurai with Viking horns, doesn't he?

-- So far, there hasn't been much about Katrina, but this week we learned that Moloch is keeping her in Purgatory. Last week Buffy, this week Supernatural?

-- Ichabod moved out of a motel and into Corbin's cabin.

-- I liked the little detail that "John Doe" had different antibodies in his immune system. Although the factual detail about a magical plague seemed pointless later on.

-- The use of "John Doe" predates the Revolutionary War? Live and learn.

-- Ichabod said that Jefferson had an obsession with puns, and Adams with dirty limericks. Dan thinks Ichabod Crane should watch and provide commentary on the movie 1776.

-- The next episode airs in three weeks. A break? Already?

Quotes:

Ichabod: "What is this impenetrable barrier around this instrument?"

Abbie: "This is where the mail carrier saw Thomas. Right near the 'Welcome to Roanoke' sign."
Ichabod: "Yours isn't the first generation to invent sarcasm."
I swear, I could hear Giles saying something like that. Mostly because he did.

(Abbie injects Ichabod)
Ichabod: "What was that?"
Abbie: "Adrenalin."
Ichabod: "I like it."

Not as strong as I'd like, and as I said, not a fan of "mysterious plague" episodes, so two out of four impenetrable bubble wraps,

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

6 comments:

  1. I think the break is due to the World Series. Right?

    I can't believe you didn't have any gripes about Ichabod's use of Middle English! Middle English went out of use about a century before Roanoke's settlement. It was just a sloppy way to make sure Crane's involvement was 100% necessary to the case.

    Aside from that, I think I liked this one more than you did. I didn't mind the mystery plague and, like you Billie, I've always been fascinated by the fate of the Roanoke colony.

    I'm trying to decide if Crane would look more hot or less hot in modern clothing and I'm coming up empty.

    I thought I was the only one who'd seen 1776.

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  2. The Middle English thing felt wrong, but I didn't catch that -- thanks.

    My mother was deeply into musicals. I have probably seen them all more than once. There are worse things, I suppose.

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  3. The Middle English thing was absolutely ludicrous. For comparison, here's a sample of ACTUAL English from almost exactly the time of the Roanoke settlement:

    "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
    It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
    Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
    Who is already sick and pale with grief."

    That would be... what's the word I'm looking for... MODERN English. The "Middle English" thing was a real howler.

    But overall it was a cute episode.

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  4. My reaction was also "Middle English? In a British colony in the AMERICAS?! Didn't they get there way too late to still be using Middle English?!"

    Otherwise yeah, fun episode. I did hope Roanoak would stick around a bit longer...

    And a 3 week break already?! WHY?!?!?!?! BOOO!!! :o(

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  5. This show just keeps getting more and more fun. I loved the idea of the colony of Roanoke as, like Billie, I would love to know what really happened. The Middle English didn't bother me so much. I did some quick math in my head, realized they were pushing the time line, then realized I didn't really care. All kudos, by the way, to the kid who played Thomas. He pulled off Middle English like a champ.

    The debate around Crane's clothes. I'm convinced the man will look amazing in whatever they choose to attire him in.

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  6. The Middle English thing bothered me, too. Especially since Crane referenced it as the language of Chaucer within the episode. But this one did clear up my confusion over the one Horseman being called Conquest, when I always thought it was Pestilence. Two names for the same Horseman, apparently! And I did love the little beat with the Scotch tape.

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